The Legend of Grizabella's Kittens
by WaitingformyMunkustrap
Summary: The Glamour Cat was never fond of kittens, but he was different... Follow the story of three brothers as they learn about rejection, acceptance, and what it really means to be a family. Work in progress. 8/14/16 - Rating changed to T for mild suggestiveness.
1. Playing Favorites

_The Legend of Grizabella's Kittens_

by Waiting for my Munkustrap

* * *

The Glamour Cat was never fond of kittens. Even her own!

Especially her own.

It was the night of The Jellicle Ball, and Grizabella resented having to miss it. Couldn't the kittens have waited one more night? She should have been out dancing with the tribe, she thought, but instead, she was curled up in an alleyway off Tottenham Court, preparing to deliver a litter of stupid, needy, sticky little rats in which she had no interest.

Up to that point, few of Grizabella's kittens had survived, and those that did, did so without her help. She wasn't interested in them. They cramped her style. She was the Glamour Cat, not a mother.

But he was different. She knew it the moment she laid eyes on him. He was the only kitten born alive, that night, and he was the prettiest little thing she had ever seen. One look at him, and she was hooked. She nursed him and groomed him until his black fur practically glittered in the light of the Jellicle Moon. Finally, one of them was perfect. Finally, one of them took after her.

Grizabella didn't know that, just around the corner, two of her older kittens stalked. They peered around the corner, seething with jealousy towards the little kitten, who was only an hour or so old and already had everything they ever wanted. One cursed under his breath, "Stupid kitten. What an awful, stupid kitten." "Come on, Macavity," whispered the other. "It's not the kitten's fault." They crept forward, winding around garbage cans and pipes, to get a better look.

Grizabella heard their whispers, but feigned unawareness, until one of them came just a little too close for her liking. She flicked her tail and hissed, "Macavity." Their game was up. The intruders stepped out into the open. "Oh," Grizabella laughed, "it's both of you. Macavity, Za- Oh, wait." She laughed again, louder, frightening and infuriating the young toms. "What is it they call you, now? It starts with an R. Or was it a T? Tom, Rug..."

"The Rum Tum Tugger," hissed the kitten.

"Oh, of course, how could I forget." Grizabella cooed. " _The_ Rum Tum Tugger. Well, I suppose I should introduce my son."

At that, Macavity exploded in a jealous fit from which his brother could hardly hold him back. He yowled and cried, " _We're_ your sons! Me and Tugger! Not that thing!" Tugger shouted at Macavity to quit, but Grizabella continued to taunt the young toms, causing their blood to boil so hot that Tugger, always the more stable brother, considered joining Macavity in the attack.

Macavity needed no help. In the blink of an eye, he was on the other side of their mother and the new kitten. Realizing that her older son was determined to harm her newborn, Grizabella leaped to her feet, with the baby between her legs. She arched her back, hissed, and lunged at her attacker. Tugger pushed Macavity out of the way and lashed out with his paw, scratching his mother across the face. Grizabella yowled in pain and anger. Momentarily confused, she slashed the air in front of her, hoping to make contact with a boy. Terrified, the brothers bounded away into the night.

* * *

"I told you not to use your powers," grumbled Tugger, as he and Macavity wandered down an empty street. The street lights cast a dreary, golden glow across the damp pavement, but the Jellicle Moon shone brilliant silver. Led mainly by the moonlight, the brothers sauntered on, hungry, weary, and exhausted from their violent encounter. They were lucky that night, however, as they were not entirely alone in the darkness.

Two female kittens lounged on their first-story windowsill, grooming their fur and swishing their tails. They happened to notice the brothers' silhouettes on the road beneath them. Their curiosity was peaked, and they greeted the boys as they passed by. "Who are you?" asked one of the girls.

Tugger answered with another question: "What's it to you?"

The other girl purred and let her red tail fall down from the windowsill and into the boys' faces. "Well," she said, "we ought to know the names of two mysterious, dashing young tomcats wandering past our window on the night of The Jellicle Ball, right?"

Tugger scoffed. "What are your names? And what's The Jellicle Ball?"

The red kitten on the windowsill flicked Tugger's nose with her tail, purring flirtatiously, "You're curious, aren't you?" She made Tugger kind of uncomfortable. He wasn't used to that kind of attention. He kind of liked it.

She introduced herself as Bombalurina and her companion as Demeter. The boys introduced themselves, and the girls invited them to The Jellicle Ball.

"You can be a part of our tribe!" Demeter told them. Tugger was hopeful. Be a part of a tribe? A real tribe? It had always been just him and Macavity, struggling to survive on the streets without a mother. The thought of a tribe excited and intrigued him. Macavity, on the other hand, pulled back. "We don't need your tribe!" he snapped. "We have a mom, and she's gonna take us back!"

"Come on, Macavity," Tugger pleaded. "I don't even want to go back to Grizabella, anymore."

The girls' eyes widened. "Grizabella the Glamour Cat? Is your _mom_?" they asked.

The boys had no idea that their mother was such a star, but Demeter and Bombalurina knew more about her than they did. Every year, she attended The Jellicle Ball with their tribe, and everyone was mesmerized by her beauty. Every young queen wanted to be just like Grizabella the Glamour Cat.

Demeter jumped down from the windowsill, and Bombalurina followed. Demeter approached Macavity. "I really wish you would come," she said. "I promise, it's fun. Please?"

Macavity relented. "Maybe. I guess. Okay."

The girls squealed with excitement and told the boys to follow them. It was almost time for The Jellicle Ball. They happily bounced down the road with Tugger and Macavity trailing behind them.

"Demeter's pretty," Macavity softy confessed to his brother.

"Yeah, she is," agreed Tugger. "Come on, we have to catch up!"

* * *

As hours turned to days and days to weeks, Grizabella's golden child continued to grow and grow more wonderful. He was surely a lucky one, for Grizabella adored him. He was smart, a quick learner, and his mother couldn't wait to make him a star...if she could keep track of him. He was so small, he could hide himself in the most curious places. One moment he was there, the next, he would slip away. His sudden absences frightened Grizabella at first, but she soon grew accustomed to the routine, knowing that her smart little kitten would always come back to her.

On a bright, sunny day like any other, Grizabella and her kitten were relaxing by the riverside. The little one was just learning to speak, and, like always, learning quickly.

"Zizza-zizza-bella," stuttered the kitten. Grizabella laughed, "Griz-a-bella is my name, little one. What's your name?"

The boy responded with a confident "Maggie! M- Majie!"

"Maggie?" Grizabella asked. "Why, no; that's a girl's name. Your name is Quaxo."

He looked up at her with big black eyes that melted her heart. He looked as if he had had a revelation. "Magic," he said.

Grizabella's heart dropped into her toes. "W- What did you just say, baby?"

"Magic."

And finally, Grizabella understood how he was always able to get away from her, as her son disappeared right in front of her very eyes.

She jumped up and raced to the spot where her son had been laying just moments before. She cried, "No, no, no, no! No. This isn't happening. Not you. Not you."

There was only one cat Grizabella knew of who could do something like that.

She whispered, "Macavity."


	2. Help

"I'm more than a little surprised, Grizabella," expressed a large, black and white cat, who sat in a sophisticated manner on a brick wall in front of an immaculately groomed hedge. "You've never been one to value family ties."

"Please, Bustopher," Grizabella begged. "I don't know what to do. I can't handle him. He needs a tom in his life. Maybe, you can get through to him."

Bustopher laughed a deep, hearty laugh. The thought! He was a busy man. He didn't have time for a kitten. Well, not much, anyway. On the other hand, Grizabella was not only another cat of high society; she was his sister, and although they could hardly be considered close, seeing her in so much distress reached his heart. Perhaps, he could do at least a little something to help out with his rambunctious nephew. "Where is he, now?" he asked.

Grizabella answered shakily, "That's just the thing. I have no idea."

* * *

Meanwhile, scavenging on the docks at the edge of the Thames, was Quaxo's older brother, The Rum Tum Tugger. Having been introduced by Bombalurina and Demeter to quite the menagerie of cats, the boys were beginning to spend some days apart, hanging out with other friends or just having some alone time. Tugger almost never opted for alone time, for he discovered he was most comfortable in social situations and enjoyed the spotlight more than a little. Perhaps a little prematurely, he began considering himself a grown-up cat about town. It was with this new found confidence that he finally decided to go off on his own for a bit, leaving Macavity and their friends Bombalurina and Demeter behind.

The day was hot, and, after a while, Tugger grew tired and found a comfortable place to lie down. Feeling safe, he curled up in the grass, not even bothering to hide himself. He had just closed his eyes, when he heard a soft meow. Thinking it was just his imagination, he ignored it. Then, he heard it again. He opened his eyes to see his mother's new kitten standing disturbingly close, staring at him. Tugger jumped and went on the defense. He was a little embarrassed, taking a defensive stance opposite such a small kitten, but he was genuinely frightened. Where did he...? _How_ did he...?

"Get away from me," Tugger said. "Go. Scram!" But the kitten did not yet know what those words meant...or he was simply ignoring them.

Unfortunately, Tugger was not immune to the same adorable countenance that stole their mother's heart. He eased up. "What do you want?" he asked.

The kitten appeared as if he planned to stay still, but then, in a flash, he pounced on his brother and shouted, "Play!"

"Shit!" cried Tugger as he attempted (and failed) to dive out of the way of the flying kitten. Quaxo landed flat on his brother's back, giggling hysterically. Tugger pushed him off, laughing himself. He wanted to be angry, but how could he? He and Macavity used to play like that.

"Okay, kid," he said. "You wanna play? What's your name?"

The younger boy concentrated, visibly determined. He began to stammer, "M- M...Ma...M!"

Tugger just shrugged. "Whatever, Mister. I'll just call you...well, Mister's fine, for now. Where's Mom? Does she know where you are?"

But "Mister" just kept stammering, until Tugger gave up. Reluctantly, Tugger continued down the bank of the Thames with his little brother in tow.

* * *

Grizabella took a deep breath before nervously stepping through the door. It had been years since she set foot in the theatre, but desperate times called for desperate measures. It was there she hoped to find her old teacher, Gus. She was in luck.

She rushed through the rocky reunion and on to explaining her and her son's plight. She was beginning to realize just how many people she had alienated through the years with her selfishness and vanity.

"Bustopher's going to look after him on Tuesday nights, but-"

"There's nothing I can do for you, Grizabella."

"Please. I was your best student. I-"

"There's nothing he can do for you," snapped Gus' daughter, Jellylorum. Grizabella fell silent, surprised to hear such a cold tone from one of her childhood friends.

Old Gus, however, had always been sympathetic towards his former star student. Having been a father figure to her in her youth, he felt partly responsible for her behavior. If only he had helped her develop her own character, instead of teaching her only to play others...

Gus took one of Grizabella's paws in his. "I'm sure your son is a lovely child," he said, "but I'm an old man, now, Grizabella. I wish I could help you. I really do."

Grizabella was despondent, looking helplessly between Gus and Jellylorum until the latter "offered" to escort her out.

Before retreating back into the theatre, Jellylorum, who was obviously expecting kittens herself, hissed at Grizabella, "You're his mother. _You_ take care of him."

* * *

"Where have you been?" asked Macavity, when Tugger returned to the junkyard, that evening. That's where the brothers had been staying with Demeter and Bombalurina's tribe, the Jellicles.

"Yeah, we were looking for you!" added a young, silver tom, as he and his black and white brother bounded over to where Tugger and Macavity stood. Their names were Munkustrap and Alonzo, respectively, and they had made fast friends with the brothers.

"Um, Actually..." Tugger hesitated. "Well, I ran into our little brother, today."

Macavity bared his teeth. "Oh."

"No, actually it was fun."

Macavity arched his back and dug his claws into the ground, bristling with fury. "Fun!?" he cried.

Tugger was a little bit hurt, but he tried to shrug it off, because he knew the girls were watching. He knew his brother had a jealous streak, but he trusted him. "Yes," Tugger asserted. "Y'know, just because Grizabella's his mom-"

"Grizabella's _our_ mom," Macavity grumbled, approaching threateningly, but Tugger stood his ground. "That stupid, freaking kitten stole her from me, and now you?"

Tugger softened. "No, he's not. He'll _never_ steal you from me!"

"Yeah? Whatever, man." Macavity mumbled, sadly slinking away from the group. Tugger took a step after him, but Munkustrap stopped him. "Let him go," the grey kitten advised. "I bet he just needs to calm down."

"Yeah! Come play with us!" Alonzo interjected. He crouched to the ground, waving his tail in the air.

Tugger feigned disinterest. "I don't know... Maybe." Then, suddenly, he launched himself at the black and white kitten, leaping over him and pulling him into a somersault. "Tag! You're it, Alonzo!"

The three boys went running off into the junkyard, hesitating for only a moment when Munkustrap and Alonzo's father called after them, "Don't be too long; it's getting dark!"

"We won't, Mr. Old Deuteronomy, Sir!" replied Tugger, climbing over a pile of old bottles to escape Alonzo's grasp.

Old Deuteronomy continue past the rambunctious young boys, and over to Macavity, who was sulking beneath the wheel of an old, rusty car. "Now, son," the old tom asked, "why aren't you off playing with the other boys?"

"Nobody likes me," Macavity bemoaned. "Not my mom, not even my own brother."

"Now, that's just not true," Deuteronomy told him, kneeling down closer to him and picking up his chin. "I know your mother, and she's...well, she is what she is, but your brother loves you very much."

"Are you sure?" the young tom asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Old Deuteronomy leaned in close to whisper to Macavity, "And don't tell anyone I told you, but I think Demeter really likes you, too."

Macavity's eyes and ears perked up. "She does?"

The old tom laughed, "Isn't it obvious? What is there to not like? A handsome, young, ginger cat like yourself!"

Macavity blushed. "Oh, um, well, Tugger's the handsome one."

"Nonsense. You are both handsome."

That's when the very queen-kit in question ran up behind Deuteronomy. "Hey, Macavity!" she said. "Do you want to play with me?"

Macavity hoped his fiery red fur would hide his blush. "Um, yeah, Demeter. I'd love to play with you." He glanced up at Old Deuteronomy, who winked at him with a knowing smile.

"Come on!" Demeter urged Macavity, leading him away. "I found the coolest thing by the old refrigerator!"

Old Deuteronomy watched them with pride, as sweet, young Demeter and his new young tribesman ran off together.


	3. Just a Dream?

"Mommy? Mommy... Mommy!"

Grizabella woke with a start. "Hm? What? What is it, Quaxo?"

"I had a bad dream," whined the kitten, snuggling under his mother's chin. She wrapped a paw around him and told him to tell her what it was. "It was- It was a magic cat," he told her, "and he was really mean, and there were lots of cats, and he did really bad things."

Grizabella held her breath. When she spoke, she tried to keep her voice steady, closing her eyes, unable to bear even looking at her little tom. "Were you the magic cat in your dream, Quaxo?" she asked.

"I don't know. I didn't see anything."

"If you didn't see anything, how do you know what happened?"

Quaxo had to think about that. He didn't really understand what had happened, he just knew it was bad and he was scared.

"I don't know," he explained. "I just sort of...felt it."

Grizabella sighed, hesitantly curling her body around him. "Well, it was just a dream," she said, to herself as much as to her son. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart." But every time Quaxo closed his eyes, he could still hear distant, terrified cries and feel a sense of dread that made his heart drop.

"Will you sing me a song?" he sweetly asked his mother, his face buried in her side.

Grizabella sighed. _"Memory, turn your face to the moonlight._

 _Let your memory lead you. Open up, enter in._

 _If you find there the meaning of what happiness is,_

 _then a new life will begin."_

The frightened kitten was quickly becoming much more relaxed and easily fell asleep to the sound of his mother's voice. Grizabella felt his little lungs expanding and contracting against her side. She took a few shaky breaths, opting to stay awake. She glared down at the sleeping form of her unknowing, little monster.


	4. The Hunt Begins

"Will you teach me how to hunt mice?" Quaxo asked Tugger, one lazy afternoon in the square. The brothers were memorizing the streets and alleyways, and the older of the two, now in his adolescence, was digging through rubbish bins to find them an afternoon snack.

"Hm?" Tugger asked, poking his head out of a tall box he was exploring.

"Mom won't teach me to do it," his little brother explained. "She just catches everything for me. I've never had a fresh mouse."

"Well, I hate to tell you, Mister," Tugger replied, "but I'm not much of a hunter either." He leaped out of the box and continued down the shady alley, with Quaxo walking along beside him. "How did you live without food, then?"

"Some humans have been leaving food out for me – they're the ones who named me Rum Tum Tugger – and my brother, Macavity, caught food for us in between."

Quaxo looked confused, walking a few steps just staring at his paws. "I thought you said I was your brother," he said finally, when he just couldn't make sense of it all in his little head.

"You are," Tugger agreed, "and so is Macavity."

"Is Macavity my brother, too?"

"Yep."

"Oh." Quaxo paused again. "How come I've never met him?"

"He doesn't like..." Tugger stopped himself just short of saying, "you." "...meeting new people."

Much to his relief, his little brother didn't press the issue any further. Unfortunately, he brought up an equally uncomfortable subject: "Why doesn't Mom like you?"

Tugger froze dead in his tracks. "What!?" he exclaimed, suddenly stricken with anger.

"Well, I like you a lot," Quaxo explained.

"That's none of your damn business!" Tugger snapped, as surprised at his tone as the now frightened kitten before him. He sighed, "Hey, Mister, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. Let's just talk about something else."

"Like what?"

"Why do you call me 'Mister?'"

Tugger laughed, "Because the day I asked you your name, you couldn't pronounce it.

"I can, now!" the little tom exclaimed excitedly. "It's Quaxo!"

The older cat wrinkled his nose. "I like 'Mister' better."

His little brother thought about it for a minute. Finally answered, "Yeah, I think I do, too."

It was early evening when Tugger returned to the tribe, expecting to find Macavity and their friends wrestling around, as usual. Instead, he was met with a disturbingly quiet junkyard. By that time, Tugger knew the place like the back of his paw and was more than a little unsettled to find many things strewn about, out of place. He walked through what was usually a clearing, crouching low to the ground, ready to defend himself if necessary, kicking cans and crumpled papers out of the way. What the hell happened here?

Just then, he heard a faint voice calling his name. He turned around just in time to see Bombalurina scrambling over a disheveled pile of trash, sliding down as the degraded items beneath her feet gave way. She tumbled into Tugger, panting heavily. "We have been looking for you everywhere! We heard- and we thought-"

"Woah, Bomba," the tom interrupted. "What the hell is going on?"

"Growltiger's on the loose," his friend answered. "His barge came in this afternoon and-" A look of terror washed over her pretty, red features. "We thought he'd be with you."

"Who- Growltiger?"

"Macavity."

Tugger froze. _Growltiger_ , the most notorious feline criminal in all of London, was on the loose, and his brother was nowhere to be found. He and Bombalurina took off, out of the junkyard. They turned the corner out of the gate and – SMACK – ran straight into another cat. Their accidental assailant rolled into the street, taking Bombalurina with her. They were narrowly missed by a passing car.

"Bomba!" Tugger cried, leaping to his friend's aid, but the other cat got in between them, and he found himself face to face with none other but Grizabella the Glamour Cat. "You..." she hissed, lunging at her nearly grown child. "Where is he? I know he was with you. Where is my son?"

Tugger angrily shoved his mother out of the way to help Bombalurina to her feet. "How dare you-" He stopped short, all the color draining from his face. "Tugger, what's wrong?" Bombalurina asked. Tugger paid her no attention. He grabbed Grizabella by the shoulders. "You don't know where he is!?" he cried, shaking her. "He's your _son_!" This afternoon was rapidly going from bad to worse, as Tugger now feared for the safety of both his brothers.

Bombalurina took a few tentative steps towards the older queen. She spoke reverently. "Grizabella, please, you have to help us find Macavity, and we'll help you-"

Grizabella hissed and arched her back, black fur standing on end, dazzling silver eyes glowing red with anger. She stalked towards the two terrified friends, growling, "I hope that demon is destroyed by Growltiger and his henchmen, before he destroys my beautiful child."

Tugger screamed out in rage and pounced on his mother, pinning her to the ground and digging his claws into her shoulders. "Don't you _dare_ talk about my brother that way! He is ten times the cat you'll ever be, you old _witch_! I should slash your throat out right now. Quaxo prefers being with me, anyway!"

His statement filled Grizabella with such rage, she found the strength to push Tugger off, although he was close to surpassing her in size and strength. She dragged her claw across his chest deriving sick satisfaction from the young tom's yelp of pain. She reached for his throat, next, but a smaller, red paw smacked it out of the way.

"Stop it!" Bombalurina cried. Tears were welling in her amber eyes as she jumped in between them, eyes darting back and forth between the two damaged fighters. "Neither of them are safe, right now," she sobbed. "Nobody is safe! We have to find them! All of them!"

A sharp wind blew down the lane, bringing with it the eerie sound of barking and howling dogs. Tears began to fall down Grizabella's face, and she turned to address the younger cats one more time. "You find my son and bring him home to me, safe," she threatened, "or it will be the end of you and your brother." She turned around and ran the way from which she came, leaving Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina shaking in the street.


	5. Families Divided

Demeter couldn't believe the mess she had gotten herself into.

When the word got out that Growltiger was on the loose, the Jellicles split into search parties to find their absent tribe members. The others told Demeter not to get separated from the group and not, under any circumstances, to go near the docks, but she could have sworn she saw Growltiger's men take Macavity, and she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. He was her best friend. In fact, he was more than that. She wasn't sure, but she thought she must be in love with him.

What was she thinking? No – she wasn't thinking, and now she was going to pay for her mistake with her life.

Luckily, she didn't think anyone had seen her yet. She was a stowaway, not a prisoner. That would soon change, however, if she couldn't choke back her panicked sobs. She was on Growltiger's barge. Who knew what he would do to her when she was found? Who knew what he had already done to Macavity? The thought made the lump in her throat swell to the size of a watermelon. She knew she had seen Growltiger's men pulling him onto the barge...hadn't she?

* * *

Macavity tore through the streets of London, lost in thought, having just escaped from the clutches of unthinkable peril. Thank the Everlasting Cat for magic. He'd been able to disappear right out from under Growltiger's nose, but now, he was afraid the Terror of the Thames would be after him.

Most grown cats recognized a magical cat when they saw one, but most didn't show any interest in what Macavity considered to be one of his best characteristics. Growltiger, on the other hand, had been sickeningly interested in the young tom's powers. It seemed that he had targeted Macavity specifically because of them, and Macavity couldn't stop thinking about something Growltiger had said to him, or, rather, asked him to do.

"Join me."

The request played over again in Macavity's head, causing his heart to stop momentarily, just like it had when the infamous, criminal cat was actually standing in front of him.

"With powers like that, you would make a stunning criminal."

Macavity hadn't wasted another second in disappearing in a puff of hot, red smoke, and he had no plans of stopping before he reached the junkyard. That is, until he heard a couple of panicked voices calling his name. He recognized them immediately.

"Tugger! Bomba!" he called back, heading towards the source of his brother and friend's voices. He picked up speed, when he finally saw them rounding a corner up ahead. Joyfully, he crashed into them, and the three fell into a heap on the pavement. "You scared the living crap out of me," his brother said.

Bombalurina took Macavity's face in her paws and landed a quick kiss on his lips. She sighed with relief, "Oh, Mackie, are you alright?"

"Barely," the young, ginger cat confessed. "Growltiger caught me, but I teleported-"

"Kids!" came another rapidly approaching voice. An orange tabby cat in a waistcoat dashed over and began to corral the adolescents back towards the junkyard. "What on Earth do you think you're doing out? Haven't you heard?"

"Of course, Skimbleshanks," Bombalurina replied. "We were just looking for Macavity."

"Well, you've found him. Come on!"

Macavity shook his head. "It's okay, Growltiger's barge has left again."

Skimbleshanks' ears perked up. "Are you sure, lad?" Macavity nodded, and the older tom relaxed considerably at the news. "Well, run along, anyhow. We've got to let the others know you're okay."

* * *

Grizabella paced up and down Tottenham Court, unashamedly letting streams of tears fall down her face. Her kitten was missing. That, in itself, was not unusual, but given the circumstances... Oh, damn her genetic propensity to produce magical kittens! First, there was Macavity, and Grizabella was perhaps too open to admitting that his powers had something to do with her resentment for the wretched thing. Or, perhaps, that was merely an excuse for her behavior. Now that it was Quaxo – Her dear, perfect, little Quaxo...

But that was it. Quaxo wasn't perfect. Not anymore. He may have been kind, charming, and beautiful, but he was also magic. His mother could hardly handle herself. How could she take care of a magical kitten?

Apparently, she couldn't. At this, the most crucial of times, she didn't even know where he was.

* * *

Quaxo had been on his way home from his play date with Tugger when he heard the news about Growltiger. He was too young to truly understand the gravity of the situation, but well old enough to know that he needed to be afraid. Even the humans around the town were murmuring nervously and taking precautions to keep their pets safe. Distracted by the commotion, Quaxo took a wrong turn and soon found himself in a part of the city he had never been, before. He couldn't teleport, unless he knew where he was going. Soon, almost everyone – feline, canine, and human – had gone indoors, leaving the poor, scared kitten alone on the street. He began to shake out of fear. He reminded himself that his magic was quite strong, for his age. Surely, he would be able to defend himself, wouldn't he? What if he couldn't?

Quaxo was too busy worrying about himself to notice the small human voice behind him, not that he would have been able to understand it if he had. Seconds later, a louder, deeper voice rang out. That, Quaxo noticed. He turned around to see a tall human with two human kittens on either side of it. They were standing in an open doorway, seemingly beckoning him to come inside. Quaxo cocked his head to the side. He had always left humans alone, and they ignored him, for the most part. Were these showing him mercy by giving him a safe haven from the Terror of the Thames? What if he went inside and they hurt him or weren't nice to him? Eventually, his fear of Growltiger won out, and he scampered between the humans' legs into their huge, human-sized den.

* * *

When Skimbleshanks returned to the junkyard with three young cats in tow, he was immediately accosted by a matching orange tabby queen throwing her arms around him. "Skimble!" she cried, "I was so scared. I knew you would be on your way home from the train station, and-"

"Hush, Jenny, m'love; I'm here now."

Munkustrap and Alonzo came scampering over to their friends. It was Alonzo who noticed, first. "Where's Demeter?" he asked. There was an abrupt and deafening silence, before it was broken by Macavity.

"What do you mean, _'Where's Demeter?'_ "

"You mean she's not here?" Tugger added. Munkustrap shook his head gravely. Tugger put an arm around Bombalurina, who appeared as though she might faint, and pulled her close to him. The five stared at each other, at a loss.

Old Deuteronomy noticed the young cats' distress and approached them carefully. "Children," he began, but Munkustrap cut him off.

"Dad, Demeter's missing."

The announcement shook the wise, old tom to his very core. "We lost her by the docks," he mumbled, looking right through his son. "Coricopat! Tantomile!"

Everyone was startled to hear their kind leader sound so fierce, especially Coricopat and Tantomile, the mystic twins. "Yes, sir?" they answered in unison.

"Demeter," was all their leader could manage.

The twins looked at each other, using their psychic powers to channel their missing friend. The look of horror that crossed their faces was all the answer Old Deuteronomy needed.

He loved and cared for Demeter like one of his own. How could he let this happen?


	6. The Blame Game & 3 Different Names

Demeter watched from behind a crate as a snow white queen approached. She couldn't see much – just the slight gleam of the queen's pearl necklace that nearly blended in with her fur. At first glance, she looked pristine. At second glance, her unsheathed claws were dotted and stained with blood. Demeter had heard of this cat. Her name was Griddlebone, and she was Growltiger's lover. His only weakness.

Griddlebone sighed, "We know you're there, you know." Demeter froze. Surely, she wasn't talking to her. She hadn't even looked in her direction!

"Oh, come on," said the queen, becoming exasperated. "We didn't get to be the Terror of the Thames by taking mercy on stowaways." Her voice was disturbingly calm, as if killing wayward young ones was an everyday occurrence on the barge. "Come out, come out, wherever you are...or do I need to be more specific?" She glared in Demeter's direction, and, for the first time, Demeter could see her face clearly. Griddlebone wasn't simply a white cat; she was albino, as evidenced by her soft red eyes that bore the jaded look of someone who has seen things no cat should ever see, done things no cat should ever do.

Demeter knew she had been caught. She had one last strategy: Cooperation.

Her legs felt like lead as she forced them to move, one in front of the other, towards Griddlebone. The older queen's demeanor changed slightly, when she saw Demeter inching out from within the stacks of crates. She seemed less distinctly murderous and more murderously amused. "Oh," she laughed. "You're just a kitten."

Normally, Demeter would have protested being called a kitten at her age, but, as far as she was concerned, Griddlebone could call her whatever she liked, so long as she didn't rip her to shreds.

"Come on out," Griddlebone urged. "You know, I have two kittens just a little younger than you. I couldn't hurt someone who reminds me so much of my daughter."

Demeter got the feeling that she didn't actually remind Griddlebone of her daughter, if Griddlebone was even telling the truth about having a daughter.

Demeter tried to speak confidently, but her voice betrayed her. "I'm so sorry, Lady Griddlebone," she squeaked. "I didn't mean to- Please, just let me go. I'll be out of your hair, and-"

She was interrupted by a hearty laugh from the murderess, who purred, "Sweetheart, have I really been such a bad hostess that you want to leave so soon? You haven't even met my dear Tiger, yet."

Griddlebone smiled, showing her teeth that were streaked with red, just like her claws. Demeter shuddered. How could a creature so beautiful be so vile?

The older queen snaked her paw around the younger's shoulders and began leading her towards the cabin. "Come, now," she purred. "We'll make sure you're quite comfortable."

* * *

Quaxo was quickly discovering that he liked the humans' den. The humans had provided him with towels to sleep on and a bowl of delicious milk. He purred, thinking that if they kept this up, he might allow them to touch him. They had tried, but, naturally, he wanted none of it. He had heard of some cats having human families that they lived with, at least part of the time. His mom used to have one. Even Tugger had humans who left food out for him. Maybe, Quaxo thought, these humans could be his family! And, if they were going to be his family, he had ought to take a look around and get to know the place. Really, it was just an excuse for him to snoop, but he was still too young to care about the ethics. His curiosity took over.

The first thing he examined was what looked like a huge, stone box that opened on the side and smelled funny. Taking a closer look, Quaxo realized it was filled with ashes. He had burned enough things with his magic to recognize the charred material. He considered rolling in it, but then he would be dirty, and his mother would give him a bath when he returned to her. He didn't like that very much, so he continued exploring the house. He found a room that smelled wonderful and was filled with food that was, much to his dismay, kept well out of his reach. He found a smaller room with a water chair and a counter that was shaped funny, like there was a bowl in the middle. He made a mental note to return to this room and play with all the strange knobs and levers. He figured they would make something happen. He looked up the staircase, but it was dark at the top, and being that he was just a little kitten and didn't know where it led, he opted to stay downstairs. Next, he checked out the most interesting room of all. The walls were covered in shelves, and the shelves were filled with rectangles. Quaxo was able to knock one off the bottom shelf and look inside. It was a book!

Quaxo knew all about books. His uncle, Bustopher, had introduced him to them. He was fascinated by human writing and, being a magical cat, was well on his way to being able to read it. He breathed in the sweet, dusty smell of the pages before leaving the book behind to continue exploring the room. He hopped up on a chair, which sat before a table that had a fancy, red lamp in one corner and papers strewn across the rest of the surface. Some of the papers were folded up and felt like they had more paper inside. Even more interesting was the fact that they all had the same thing written on the outside. Quaxo struggled to understand some of the text.

"To...Ch...Charles...Mis...toff...e...lees."

He had heard about humans having three names, like cats, but they were used differently. Their first name was the one that the family use daily, unless they didn't like it, in which case they would use the second one. The third and last one was the name that everyone in the family used to show that they were a part of that family, and human queens would sometimes change their last name when they fell in love with tom human to signify that she was now a part of his family. Quaxo found the idea to be quite romantic, and he wished that cats shared family names with each other. He wondered, if he got himself a human family, if he would get to use their family name.

* * *

Macavity and Tugger sat together in their den, which was really just a large, upside-down box with a hole in the side and some scrap metal siding on top to keep rain out. For the first time since they were kittens, they cuddled, needing the comfort of the other's presence.

"Mac...what if we can't find Demeter?" Tugger asked. Macavity just shook his head. He couldn't think about that, now. The guilt was crushing. If he had just stayed on the barge a little longer...

"You know it's not your fault, right?"

Macavity blinked in surprise. How did his brother always know what he was thinking, like that?

"Yeah, I know."

Luckily, at least, his brother didn't know when he was lying.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the side of their box, accompanied by a voice. "Tugger? Macavity?" it said. "It's us." That was Munkustrap's voice.

The brothers released each other from their embrace and stepped outside, where they were greeted by Munkustrap, Alonzo, Bombalurina, and, behind them, Old Deuteronomy.

"Boys," Old Deuteronomy began, "I am so sorry for what happened, today. You must be sick with worry for your friend." The boys nodded, and he continued. "Please – There is plenty of room for you two and Bombalurina in our den, tonight."

Macavity and Tugger happily accepted the invitation and followed Old Deuteronomy back to the den he shared with his four sons. His oldest, Admetus, was a full grown-tom, while his youngest, Plato, was still a kitten. They waited at the door to welcome their three guests with open arms. Admetus held Bombalurina while she cried, while the five younger boys fell asleep in a pile in the corner. In spite of the situation, Old Deuteronomy couldn't help but smile. Grizabella's boys fit in so well with his, and he had a sneaking suspicion as to why. He sighed. That was a battle for another time. For now, he just had to keep his tribe safe.


	7. Old Habits Die Hard

It took three days for Grizabella to stop worrying and start grieving. When the reality finally washed over her that her Quaxo was nowhere to be found, she collapsed in an alley and sobbed into her paws. She had rejected so many kittens – left them for dead. Then, she finally fell in love with one of them, and he was gone.

For the first time ever, Grizabella thought about her older sons without feeling pure resentment towards them. In fact, she felt...guilty? Tugger and Macavity had grown into fine young toms. She took a liking to Quaxo because he was beautiful, but now that Tugger and Macavity were beautiful, she began to see everything more clearly. Motherhood was beginning to take its toll on her body, and she was coming to understand that beauty is fleeting. The affection she felt for Quaxo, she should have felt for all her other kittens. The grief and guilt began to weigh heavily on her. Most of those kittens were dead before they ever had a chance to live.

Her fur was soaked from crying. She was cold and miserable. She almost didn't hear the tiny voice gently asking, "Mom, are you okay?"

Grizabella's eyes snapped open as she looked up to see her youngest son watching her with big, worried eyes. She could hardly believe it. He was alive. He came back. She pulled him into her arms, still sobbing his name. The younger cat didn't know what all the fuss was about. He was worried about his mom. He couldn't read her mind, but whatever she was thinking, he knew it wasn't good.

"I'm so sorry, my baby," she wept. "I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

Tugger was always the heavier sleeper, between him and Macavity. Even so, Macavity found himself surprised and even a little frustrated that his brother had fallen into a restful, peaceful sleep. It had been two days since Demeter went missing, and, aside from the older cats meeting every day to discuss plans, no one was _doing_ anything. It made Macavity sick. Demeter could be anywhere. Growltiger could have been torturing her, or worse. He couldn't bear to think about it. Aside from Tugger, Demeter and Bombalurina were his best friends.

He glanced around the den, where the grieved, young cats were still staying with Old Deuteronomy and his family. Admetus was sprawled out atop _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_ and _The Holy Bible_. Macavity could read, a little bit. He planned on being able to proficiently read and write, someday.

To the side of the stack of books that comprised Admetus' bed, Plato slept, curled up in a discarded tissue box. Munkustrap and Alonzo had crashed next to each other in a nest of old towels, while Bombalurina sat in the corner under a human kitten's blanket, gently leaning her head against the wall, looking like an angel as she slept. Macavity wondered if Demeter looked the same way, when she slept.

Tugger was stretched out in a strange position on the floor, like a cavecat, while Macavity sat up next to him, hugging his knees to his chest and wishing he could sleep like the others. Sadly, he knew, he wouldn't have a restful night until Demeter was home, safe.

He sighed. That could take weeks. That could never happen at all. Something had to happen. He had to do something.

 _But there's nothing I can do,_ he thought to himself. His stomach tied itself in knots, knowing he was lying to himself. Of course, there was something he could do, if he could be brave enough.

* * *

After the rough, sleepless night Grizabella and her estranged son unknowingly shared with each other, the sun began to rise, casting a misty, pastel glow through the junkyard. Birds were beginning to sing. It was a perfectly lovely morning. At least, it might have been.

"Mommy, where are you taking me?"

"Shh, Sweetie. Just...please, stay quiet."

Grizabella felt numb, leading her youngest son through the junkyard she used to visit regularly. She forfeited her relationship with the jellicles. She knew that. It was a significant blow to her pride to be returning on this day, but the way she saw it, she had no choice.

She remember the tribe's habits well. Old Deuteronomy liked to get up before everyone else and observe the quiet beauty of his tribe beginning a new day. They would have to hurry if they were to meet him before anyone else woke up.

Sure enough, the mother and kitten came upon the old tom as he stood in the middle of the clearing, breathing in the smell of morning. Quaxo felt bad that they would be disturbing his quiet time, but he stayed quiet and followed his mother, like she had commanded him to do.

"Excuse me, Sir," Grizabella began. Her voice was shaky, but her expression was emotionless. Old Deuteronomy frowned when he saw her.

"Grizabella. What brings you here? And at this time of day, no less?"

Her gaze fell to the ground, unable to look him or her son in the eye. She swallowed what little pride she had left. "I need your help."

Old Deuteronomy softened at her confession and took a seat in front of her. "Of course. What can I do for you?"

"My son – he's...magical."

"Macavity, or this young tom here?" Was that a flash of guilt he saw in her eyes?

"Well...both. This is Quaxo. He's three months old."

The kitten hid behind his mother's legs, glancing nervously between her and the large, old tomcat before them.

"I see," Old Deuteronomy said gently. "Good morning, little one. There's no need to be afraid." But his words did little to calm Quaxo's nerves.

"I can't control him," blurted Grizabella, surprising both the other cats. "He disappears. I never know where his is. I can't handle him. I can't keep him safe. Please!" She began to cry. "I need your help!"

Old Deuteronomy laid his paws on her shoulders in a vain attempt to provide her with some comfort. "Of course," he said. "I am more than happy to help your lovely son." He smiled warmly at Quaxo, who continued to cower behind his mother. "What do you need me to do?"

Grizabella took a shaky breath, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Take him."

Old Deuteronomy took a firm step back, shocked. He looked down at Quaxo, who was staring wide-eyed up at his mother, trembling violently. "Momma?" he whimpered, but Grizabella still refused to open her eyes. He then looked desperately toward the Jellicle leader, beginning to panic, his eyes begging for answers.

At the sight of the kitten in such distress, Old Deuteronomy's heart broke. He spoke up, with anger steadily creeping into his voice, "Grizabella, surely, you can't be serious. You can't just abandon the poor kit! I'm already taking care of two of your estranged offspring. How can you do this to your own kittens?"

Grizabella was about to defend herself, when another voice sounded, "Old Deuteronomy!"

The three turned to see The Rum Tum Tugger, Bombalurina, and Old Deuteronomy's four sons charging towards them. The adolescents skidded to a stop when they saw their visitors.

"Gr-Grizabella?" Tugger stammered, and she flinched at the sound of him – her son – calling her by her name, instead of "Mom."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, before noticing his little brother. Poor Quaxo was shaking like a leaf with tears streaming down his little face.

"What's going on? Mister, what's wrong?"

Quaxo ran into his brother's arms and sobbed uncontrollably, and not a heart in the clearing was left unbroken by his cries.

Old Deuteronomy tried to diffuse the situation. "Grizabella, we won't leave you on your own. You're welcome to stay. We know how to handle magic cats. We'll get through this, together."

Grizabella thought about it. It seemed like a good solution. She and Quaxo could stay together. They would live in the junkyard. Maybe, she could even begin to repair her relationship with Macavity and Tugger.

On the other paw, she had created a life she loved. She was Grizabella the Glamour Cat, for the Everlasting Cat's sake! Was it worth it? She had changed, since she had Quaxo, hadn't she? That may have been true...

...but old habits die hard.

"No," she finally said. "I'm going, and Quaxo is staying here."

Old Deuteronomy just shook his head disappointedly, while Quaxo sobbed even harder into Tugger's arms, "Mommy, no! Please, don't leave me!"

Grizabella sighed, trying to keep her own emotions in check. "I'm so sorry, Quaxo."

"No you're not!" Tugger shouted, letting go of his little brother to stand between him and The Glamour Cat. "You're abandoning him, just like you abandoned me and Macavity!"

"Shut up, Zaliket!" she snapped.

"That's _not_ my name! I _hate_ you!"

It took her a moment to realize that the last sentence had not been shouted by Tugger, but by Quaxo, who was now standing to Tugger's side with his back arched and his black fur standing on end.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" the magic kitten shouted before darting towards the junkyard exit.

"Quaxo, stop! Where are you going? Quaxo!"

The teary-eyed kitten turned around and fiercely shouted, "My name's not Quaxo; it's Mister Mistoffelees!" before disappearing in a shower of silver sparks. Tugger and the other younger cats rushed to the spot where he had been standing moments before, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Grizabella turned to leave without another word, but Old Deuteronomy stopped her. "Grizabella," he said, too infuriated with her to show any emotion. "Before you go, I need you to tell me something."

She nodded nervously.

"Macavity and Rum Tum Tugger," he continued. He took a deep breath before asking, "They're mine, aren't they?"

There was a long pause before Grizabella answered, "Yes."

She turned and left.

As The Glamour Cat walked away, the others came back to Old Deuteronomy, looking dreadfully concerned. "What is the matter?" he asked.

"Macavity," Bombalurina breathed. "When we woke up this morning, he was gone."


	8. Ransom

He thought he could do it. It hadn't even crossed his mind, when he left the junkyard, that anything could stop him. Now, as he stood on the bank of the Thames, gazing at the barge where his friend was being held captive, fear was quickly snuffing out courage. He could easily teleport to the barge from there, but what if he couldn't find Demeter? What if Demeter was-

No. He couldn't think like that. Luckily, though, the thought of something happening to his best friend gave him the moment of courage he needed. In seconds, he was on the barge, safely hidden in plain sight. Macavity thanked the Everlasting Cat for his power of invisibility. It had more than served him well, throughout his short life.

Despite knowing he couldn't be seen, Macavity startled at the sudden appearance of two dark grey cats walking past, laughing heartily about something. He presumed it must be something evil, seeing as this was the barge of Growltiger and his infamous mate, the Lady Griddlebone. The currently invisible cat shuddered at the thought of them, who had attempted to take him captive, just a few short days prior.

He took a couple steps forward, leaving small footprints on the dusty deck. He cursed to himself. What was the point of being invisible if one left evidence behind? He levitated himself ever so slightly – just enough so that his paws and tail weren't touching the ground – and set off in search of his friend.

* * *

 _Ransom._

Demeter knew she wasn't supposed to hear the conversation going on on the other side of the door, but that word rang out loud and clear. On one paw, it was a relief. After all, if they were going to hold her for ransom, that meant they were planning on keeper her alive...for now.

She gulped. Everyone knew Growltiger had killed, and few believed he would hesitate to kill again.

 _But most to Cats of foreign race his hatred had been vowed;_

 _To Cats of foreign name and race no quarter was allowed._

Demeter tried to take comfort in the words she and every Jellicle cat heard time and time again. There was no foreign blood in her that she knew of, and she certainly didn't look foreign. Grasping at straws? Perhaps, but at least she had _something_ going for her.

Tears sprang into her eyes, when she heard the heavy door to her prison creak open. "What do you want?" she squeaked.

"Demeter?"

She gasped at the familiar voice and whipped her head around to find the dark room...empty? She called out, "Hello? Macavity?" and was thoroughly startled when her friend appeared only inches in front of her.

Seeing her reaction, Macavity threw his paw over her mouth before she could scream. "Deme, please, I just want to talk to you?"

"What are you doing here?"

Macavity smirked. "Rescuing you, of course. Y'know: Knight in ginger fur? Damsel in distress?"

Demeter swatted at him. He was trying to be playful, but Demeter could tell there was something else going on. "What's the matter?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Macavity sighed. "The important thing is you're safe, and you're going home."

* * *

Deuteronomy's affair with Grizabella was not his proudest memory. Not because he didn't love her, for Everlasting Cat knows he did, but because he was, at the time, mated to a lovely, all black queen who went by the name of Cynthia. That was the name her family used daily, of course. She had been brave, strong, and kind – all traits which were passed on to their sons, Munkustrap and Alonzo.

Old Deuteronomy had been called a "serial widower" by some. In this life alone, he had already buried nine wives, and he loved and remembered them each clearly. It was no secret that he had had many lovers throughout his lives, but it wasn't like him to cheat on a mate. In fact, it was something he only ever did once, for the Glamour Cat he loved so dearly. Grizabella was special to him. He knew her on a different level than anyone else. If she hadn't made selfish choices, he likely would have formally asked her to be his mate after Cynthia's passing. In fact, he knew he would have. He sighed. It seemed so silly by this point in time, but he had considered leaving Cynthia for her. He always thanked the Everlasting Cat he didn't, because it was shortly after his affair with The Glamour Cat ended that Cynthia discovered she was pregnant. If only he had known...

After his last mate died in childbirth with Plato, Old Deuteronomy decided it was time for him to put romance on the back burner and do the best he could for his kittens. He did, after all, have four – actually, as he had just discovered, six – sons that needed their father. One of them was sitting before him now, trying to process the information he had just been given.

"You're our father?" Tugger asked meekly.

Old Deuteronomy nodded slowly. "Yes, I am. I am so sorry, Tugger. If I had known-"

He was cut off when his son nearly tackled him in a hug. The younger tom was beginning to cry, which broke the old tom's heart. He held his son tightly, as if silently promising him that he would always have a parent, from this point forward. He would never be abandoned or left alone, again.

"Sir?" Tugger sniffed.

"Yes, my boy?"

Tugger looked up at Old Deuteronomy through watery eyes and nearly choked when he asked, "May I call you Dad?"

Old Deuteronomy pulled him close again. "Yes, my son. Yes, of course. You are my son." He placed a kiss atop his son's head.

The cat in his arms was nearly a full-grown tomcat. He had missed so much of his life, but he wasn't going to let that happen anymore. Of course, another one of his sons was missing, and he would not rest until he had his entire family together again.


	9. Love & War

"Mackie, what's wrong?" Demeter asked, propping her chin up on her friend's shoulder as she cuddled up next to him.

Macavity sighed. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"It's not nothing. Come on, what's wrong? And why can't we go home, already?"

He avoided Demeter's hopeful gaze. She was beautiful, and he wanted her. He wanted to put off what was coming as long as possible. Demeter, on the other hand, had other things on her mind. She hated seeing Macavity so withdrawn, and she was not going to wait any longer for his answer.

"Snap out of it, Mac!" she cried. "We are on Growltiger's barge; this is serious! I don't have time to wait on your moods!"

Needless to say, Macavity was more than a little offended by her statement. "Look, Deme," he snapped. "Growltiger kidnapped me, too. I just teleported off."

Demeter gasped. "I knew I saw them take you. I...I came after you."

Macavity winced. "You came after me?"

She nodded, taking his paw in hers and holding on tight. "I wasn't just going to let them take you away. You're my best friend, Mackie. I love you."

Macavity blushed and pulled away, nausea slowly creeping up in his stomach. "Demeter," he began, his voice cracking. "Growltiger wants me to join him. He wants to use my magic."

"But you would never do that."

Silence. Demeter began to panic. "Right, Mac? You would never do that!"

Macavity took a deep breath. "I'm going to make him a deal, Deme. I'm going to join him, and he's going to let you go."

The poor, young queen looked as though she had just been shot, doing nothing to soothe her friend and savior's guilt. She shook her head. "That's not funny," she said.

"It's not a joke."

"No! You would never do that!"

Now, as much as Macavity liked to think he was over the bad habits of his kittenhood, they always seemed to rear their ugly heads when times got trying. He tried to earn the respect of others by acting like a kind, stable, upstanding young tom, but that wasn't him, and he knew it. He was angry, stubborn, and jealous, and when somebody pissed him off, he wasn't afraid to show it.

"Don't tell me what I will and won't do," he hissed at Demeter. She hissed back.

"How could you do this? How could you betray me, like this?"

"Betray you!?" Macavity sputtered. "I'm trying to save you, you bitch. We love each other, remember?"

Demeter couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew what he was doing was heroic. She knew she should be thankful. Still, she couldn't shake the selfish, heartbroken feeling that overcame her at the thought of Macavity not coming home with her.

"Yes, I love you," she agreed, "but _this_ isn't you."

Macavity turned away. "You don't know anything about me," he spat.

Demeter bit her bottom lip. All rational thought had flown out the theoretical window (as real windows were noticeably and painfully absent in the dark, damp room). She had to do something.

"Mackie, come here," she whimpered, placing a paw on his cheek and turning him to face her. With the smallest hint of a smile, she gently kissed him on the mouth. "Growltiger could come for us, at any second. It's just us, now. Let's enjoy it, while we can."

She would make him stay with her, and nothing this side of Heaviside was going to stop her.


	10. Stay With Me

When Demeter woke up, nestled against Macavity with her head on his chest, she almost forgot where she was. It was only when a loud, baritone voice echoed out from the shadows that she was reminded of reality. They were still on Growltiger's barge, and the Terror of the Thames himself has just entered the room.

"Well, well, well," he said. "Isn't this sweet? Although I must wonder how your tomfriend here got back on board."

Macavity pulled Demeter close to him. "I have powers, sir. Magical powers."

"Ah, yes." Growltiger grinned, pacing in front of the terrified adolescents. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Yes, sir."

"Macavity!" Demeter cried. "No! How could you?"

"I'm doing this for you, Demeter!"

She looked into her friend's eyes, searching for any sign of dishonesty, any sign that he had another plan in the back of his mind. When she found none, she grew angry. Furious. "But I- We-"

"We what?" hissed Macavity, pushing her out of his protective embrace. He turned back to their captor. "I will join you, but you will let Demeter go."

Growltiger considered his offer. It really was an offer he couldn't refuse, but he didn't want the younger tom to know that. "And what if I don't?"

"I take down your whole ship and everyone on it."

The pirate cat chuckled darkly. "I like you more and more, each second. Welcome aboard..."

"Macavity," his new crew member sighed.

"Welcome to a life of crime, Macavity."

Growltiger slammed the door behind him, leaving the adolescents in the dark, once more.

"Tell me that's not it," Demeter hissed. "Tell me there's more to this! Tell me you're lying, or you have a plan, or something! Anything! It can't end like this, Mackie. It can't end with you as a criminal, a pirate, a- a murderer!"

"Calm down, Demeter," Macavity cooed, pulling her to his chest. "Of course, I have a plan. I have magic, remember?" He smiled down at her. "Once I've been here a while and I know his weaknesses, I can take him down. I can destroy his criminal empire."

Demeter nodded, but tears were still rolling down her cheeks. Her friend, or perhaps new tomfriend, wiped them away.

"I love you, Demeter. Just stay with me. You won't regret it."

Demeter nodded, again.

"I know."

* * *

It wasn't all that difficult for Mr. Mistoffelees to get back into his humans' home. In fact, he could have simply teleported himself in, but he figured that would be rude. A little yowling and scratching at the door did just fine. Soon he found himself purring with delight, reveling in the attention he was receiving from the two human queen-kits as they dressed him up in jewelry and hats.

One of the girls left the room and came running back in a few minutes later, giggling mischievously and holding what appeared to be a black ribbon in her hand. She tried and failed to tie it in a bow around Mistoffelees' neck.

"What are you silly girls doing?"

The human kittens whipped their heads around to see their mother standing in the doorway. "Is that your father's?" she asked.

The girl who had brought in the ribbon looked sheepish. She gingerly removed it from Mistoffelees and held it out towards her mother. "Sorry, Mum," she murmured. Her mother just laughed.

"Actually, I think it looks rather nice on him. Let me just tie it properly."

She knelt down next to the girls and carefully tied the bow tie around the cat's neck. Mistoffelees caught sight of himself in the mirror, as she did it. This was his favorite piece, yet.

"There," said the mother, when she was finished tying. "Now he looks like a proper cat, don't you think?"

The girls nodded excitedly.

Mistoffelees thought he could get used to this life.


	11. This Is Wrong

Munkustrap sighed, when he saw Tugger sitting by himself at the edge of the clearing. In the weeks he and Macavity had been living in the Junkyard, Tugger had made a name for himself as a fun, charismatic, young tomcat. The life of the party. After Demeter returned with the news about Macavity, however, he'd fallen into what could only be described as depression.

It had been four days since both his maternal half-brothers went missing and three days since Demeter's return. Tugger was scared, and he was lonely, although he'd never admit it. Munkustrap saw it, though.

Munkustrap climbed up to the old rocking chair where Tugger was sitting. "Hey," he said simply, jumping up to sit next to him.

"Hey," Tugger deadpanned, barely even looking at his friend.

"Why don't you talk to me?"

"What do you care?"

Both were surprised at the sudden burst of anger from Tugger, who immediately flushed with guilt and looked away, expecting Munkustrap to take off, after that.

"Because we're brothers," the silver tabby offered.

Tugger looked at him, emotions indiscernible. "You mean it?"

Munkustrap nodded. "Yeah, of course, I do." He put his arm around Tugger. "We have the same dad. That makes us brothers."

Tugger still seemed unsure, so the other tom continued, "You're my brother as much as Admetus and Plato. We're half-brothers. Dad's...had a lot of mates, so, I mean, you're my brother. We're brothers."

Tugger sighed and leaned his head on Munkustrap's shoulder. "All those months, growing up, it was just me and Mac," he said. "Then, Mister was born, and we hated him, but it turns out he's pretty cool. I can't believe Grizabella abandoned him, too. She abandoned all of us. She abandoned everyone." He shook his head, his gaze somewhere else. "I just can't believe I had a family, this whole time, that I didn't even know about, that didn't even know about me."

Munkustrap wrapped his arms around Tugger and hugged him. "We've got you now, Tugs. We won't abandon you."

* * *

Demeter woke up in Macavity's arms. She giggled darkly. Something about sneaking around with a criminal brought out a bad-girl side she didn't know she had, and she loved it.

Macavity gently opened his eyes, having been awakened by Demeter's stirring. She giggled some more, when she saw his eyes.

"Good morning, my love," she chirped, nuzzling his cheek and kissing him.

Macavity purred, "Good morning to you, too."

"I missed you, while I was sleeping."

That made Macavity laugh. Demeter loved hearing him laugh, and she loved the way he looked at her when she made him laugh. She was so in love with him. He was perfect.

She crawled on top of him, straddling his chest and kissing him again, taking her sweet time before he pushed her away.

"You're frisky this morning, aren't you, Deme?"

"Clearly not enough, if you needed to ask."

"You know, this is wrong. Very, very wrong."

"I know."


	12. Glitter & Girl Talk

Five days since he had seen either of his maternal half-brothers, Tugger wandered around London. He told himself and everyone else that he just needed some fresh air, but in reality, he just couldn't stand to sit around any longer while Macavity and Mistoffelees were missing.

In the heat of the afternoon, he found himself near the home where the humans who named him lived. They usually left food and water out on the porch, so he made his way over. Sure enough, much to his delight, there was a bowl of cool, fresh water, and a bowl of tuna. He was happily surprised that they had stepped up their game. Usually, they simply left dried cat food, or leftovers from their own meals, if Tugger was lucky.

He was about halfway finished with the tuna when he was startled by a voice.

"T- Tugger?"

He jumped half a mile. That was his little brother's voice, but where was it coming from? He looked all around, and didn't see any sign of Mr. Mistoffelees.

"Up here, Tugger."

He looked up to see the little, magic cat sitting on the windowsill, looking awfully perplexed.

"What are you doing here?" Mistoffelees asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing, Mr. Mistoffelees," Tugger confessed.

His little brother smiled warmly. "You remembered my name."

"I sure did."

Mistoffelees hopped down from the window and walked over to Tugger, taking him in a tight hug. "Thank you," he said. "Now, what brings you all the way over here?"

"These are the humans that gave me my name," Tugger told him. "They've always left food and water out for me. Why are you here?"

"This is my human family!" Mistoffelees exclaimed excitedly. "What a coinkidink!"

Tugger laughed, secretly overjoyed to see his little brother so happy. "Nice collar," he said, gesturing to the bow tie around Mistoffelees' neck.

Mistoffelees blushed. "Thank you. Catherine got it for me."

"Catherine?"

"The human queen-kit with brown hair."

"Oh."

Mistoffelees smiled as he took his brother's paw. "You should come in with me! We could _live_ together!"

Tugger couldn't help but smile at his bouncy, baby brother. Living with a human family did sound pretty nice, especially if the food they left out since getting Mistoffelees was any indication of how they would be fed.

Just then, the door opened, and the two human queen-kits stood there. One of them had curly, yellow hair, and the other, Catherine, had straight, brown hair. Tugger had seen them before, of course. They were the ones who gave him his name, but he didn't know theirs.

"The Rum Tum Tugger!" the yellow-haired queen-kit shrieked with joy. "You're back!"

The two girls squatted down, and Catherine, scooped Mistoffelees up into her lap. "Is The Rum Tum Tugger your new friend, Glitter?" she asked.

Tugger had to fight not to laugh. He looked at Mistoffelees incredulously. " _Glitter?_ "

Mistoffelees huffed, "I sparkle, when I do magic."

A male voice came from inside the house. "Catherine, Audrey, what are you doing?"

 _Audrey must be the one with yellow hair_ , Tugger thought.

Audrey ran back into the house. They could hear her saying, "The Rum Tum Tugger came back! Can he come in and play with Glitter?" She returned a moment later with a human tom.

"That's their dad," Mistoffelees explained. "His name is Charles, but I just call him 'Dad.'"

Charles sighed, looking Tugger over. "He looks clean enough," he said finally.

Tugger pouted. "Of course, I'm clean!"

"I wouldn't want him bringing in any fleas. He is a stray, you know."

"So was Glitter!" Catherine and Audrey pointed out in unison.

Their father chuckled, "Alright, he can come in, as long as he doesn't cause any trouble."

The girls cheered, as did Mistoffelees, as the multi-species group of five entered the home.

* * *

Demeter returned to her human home, smiling away. She met Bombalurina on the couch in the living room. "Good evening, Bomba."

"Hello, Demeter," the red queen responded. "You're awfully happy again, today. Penny for your thoughts?"

Demeter shrugged. "I just had a nice walk is all."

Bombalurina rolled her eyes, making Demeter frown.

"What?" Demeter asked.

"I'm just hurt you didn't tell me."

"Tell you what?"

Bombalurina rolled her eyes, again. "I know you've been with Macavity. Why didn't you tell me?"

Demeter sighed, thoroughly embarrassed, "I didn't want anyone to know. How did you find out?"

Her friend smiled weakly. "Call it a sixth sense," she explained. She swatted at Demeter playfully. "I can tell when someone's not a virgin, anymore!"

Demeter's eyes went wide and her cheeks turned an unnatural shade of red.

Bombalurina grinned mischievously. "So I was right," she purred.

"Bombalurina, I can explain!"

"No need," the red queen laughed. "Not like I'm gonna tell. Truth be told, I'm not either."

It was Demeter's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, I know. You and Tugger. We all know."

Bombalurina opened her mouth to defend herself, but figured there was no point. It would be a much better idea just to put the focus back on her friend. "I am surprised, though," she told her. "I thought you had a crush on Munkustrap."

"I did. I mean, I do. I mean, I still like him, but Mackie and I are kind of a thing now, so I guess nothing's going to become of that."

Bombalurina nodded.

"So, um..." Demeter murmured, red returning to her cheeks. "How did you know it was Macavity?"

"Simple," Bombalurina explained. "You were recently saved from the Terror of the Thames by Macavity, and you've been disappearing on 'walks about the city' ever since. Of course, I knew it the moment you returned to the junkyard, after Mackie saved you. You just had that aura about you."

Demeter sighed, looking down and tracing a pattern on the couch with her claw, gently so as not to rip the fabric. "You're not going to tell anyone, right?" she whispered guiltily.

Bombalurina snorted. "Are you kidding? You have so much dirt on me, I'd be crazy to." She nuzzled her friend. "We'll have to be friends forever. Just be careful, okay? He is a criminal now, you know."

Demeter nervously bit her bottom lip. "Yeah, I know. I'll be careful," she agreed.


End file.
